1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to underwater body protectors against marine growth on boat hulls and more particularly to a floating collapsible hull protector against marine growth for encircling the underwater body of a vessel moored in a slip with easy access through a collapsing front of the hull protector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protectors against marine growth in the form of water impervious envelopes complementary to the underwater shape of a vessel are known. Such envelopes after being positioned around the under body of the vessel are then filled with growth inhibiting liquids which may be only fresh water or water containing anti-fouling chemicals. The problem with such envelopes is that they are difficult to maneuver around the vessel's under body and various schemes have been resorted to ease this task but no one system has been more efficacious than another and all have been burdensome.
The applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,244 provides an underwater body protector which completely drops down to permit the boat to enter and exit the slip, enabling the boat to maneuver more easily than other prior art systems. A rope and pulley system is used to hoist the protector into place around the boat where the protector is tied to cleats around the perimeter of the boat. While this device provides advantages over other prior art, it does require hauling up the entire protector and attaching it to the boat, which can be tiring and time-consuming, especially for a large boat.